by Shayla Asselin
As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
Galatians 6:10
“Well, that was awkward,” I thought as I walked away and down the church’s hallway. I had just walked out of the Sanctuary that night during altar call and had almost tripped over a young girl who was sitting on the floor, balled up, and crying. Although every shy bone in my fifteen-year-old body begged me to keep walking, I couldn’t. I stopped and nervously asked if she was okay. She shrugged my question away and darted her tear stained eyes away from me. I took the hint and walked away. A few minutes later, I came back down the hall to see her knees drawn up underneath her chin and her head resting in her hands. She was crying so loudly that I could hear her before I reached the end of the hall. I so badly wanted to take a right and go through the other double doors. As a teenager, I was excruciatingly shy. Most of the time I couldn’t find words to say to my family, much less an almost-stranger who was crying in the church’s lobby. “How am I going to be able to help this girl?” I thought. I had the Moses-mentality. Thankfully, I surrendered to the gentle prodding of the Holy Spirit and nervously made my way back to her. Instead of talking to her, I just sat down right next to her. After a few seconds, her tense shoulders relaxed, she lifted her head, and cautiously looked at me. I smiled and said, “I’m here if you need me.“ Fast forward ten minutes later, and she asked me to pray with her for Salvation. By the time church ended, some other ladies had come out, and we had a prayer service right in the lobby. That was my first experience getting to lead someone to Christ, and, to this day, I thank God for that one awkward moment.
I wish I could tell you that because of that one experience, I am more sensitive to the Holy Spirit and I, without hesitation, do what I feel He leads me to do exactly when I feel His nudge. Unfortunately, I can’t. Most of the time, I try to reason with God and explain to Him why I’m just not the right person for the job. “But God, I’m not very good around people. I don’t really know her. They don’t really know me. God, that might be a little awkward.”
How silly of me to explain to the Creator what His creation can and can not do.
How many times have we missed the opportunity to be a blessing to someone because we were too busy denying God’s ability to use us for His glory? God wants to use us. Will we let Him?
If you’re like me, I can get so “big-minded” that I forget God likes to use the little things too. I get so caught up in my insecurities and inability to do something "really big" for God, that I neglect to see the small opportunities He gives me every day. It goes a little something like this, “But God, I can’t donate as much money as I want to, and I can’t go with them on the missions trip, and I…” God interrupts and says, “That’s fine. Right now, I just want you to buy that lady's coffee and write that person I put on your heart a letter of encouragement.” It may not seem like much to us, but little is much when God is in it.
Sometimes the smallest acts of kindness make the biggest impact on people’s lives.
Don’t underestimate God’s ability to use you in His kingdom.
You’re exactly where you need to be, for such a time is this.
So, write the letter.
Make the phone call.
Bake the cookies.
Cook the meal.
Send the flowers.
Buy the stranger’s coffee.
Speak those words of encouragement.
That act of kindness you’re thinking of right now, do it.
It’s always a good day to be the reason someone smiles. Take the time to be intentional today. It may be awkward. It may be a little unusual. But your intentional act of kindness may be the miracle someone else is praying for. Take every opportunity to spread the love of Jesus.
One awkward moment could change a life.
